The good news is that the economy is recovering after free falling into a recession.
The bad news is that airlines are now jacking up their prices due to the economic recovery.
So what does that mean for leisure travelers?
Expect to dig deep for domestic flights this fall and winter. Or, in simpler terms, your Thanksgiving or Christmas flights home are going to cost you a ton.
According to new reports, fares for domestic flights are 16 percent to 20 percent higher than they were a year ago, and the numbers are expected to rise as the busy holiday season approaches.
Travel experts note that airlines will be taking advantage of travelers who put off flying last year because of the recession. In addition to higher airfare, airlines are also looking to pad their bottom line by launching new fees for products and services.
Sounds pretty bad, right?
Fortunately, there is a silver lining to the gray cloud of airline travel. If you are a savvy shopper, then there’s a good chance that you can score a decent price for an airline ticket this year.
Major carriers offer fare sales, but they don’t always advertise them to the general public. Some save the offers for members of their frequent flyer programs or other airline-run loyalty programs. Others cater to fans of social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.
For example, last week, Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air launched an autumn fare sale in an effort to fill seats heading into the slower fall travel season. The sale was posted on the sister carriers’ websites and a couple other media venues, but it wasn’t given a ton of press coverage. Still, the discounts are decent and deserve a look if you want to travel for cheap. The sale covers travel from September 8th through December 15th to destinations in the United States and Canada and from September 8th through October 5th to Mexico. Tickets must be bought by August 31st and at least 14 days before departure except for Hawaii and Mexico.
Also, keep in mind that the sale prices are only available for trips on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays except for travel to Mexico and Hawaii and within Alaska and the 11 days around Thanksgiving are blacked out.
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